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A Review: Investigation of Bioplastics

Article  in  Journal of Civil Engineering and Architecture · February 2015

DOI: 10.17265/1934-7359/2015.02.007

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Journal of Civil Engineering and Architecture 9 (2015) 188-192
doi: 10.17265/1934-7359/2015.02.007
D DAVID PUBLISHING

A Review: Investigation of Bioplastics

Ezgi Bezirhan Arikan and Havva Duygu Ozsoy

Department of Environmental Engineering, Mersin University, Mersin 33343, Turkey

Abstract: Because of increasing environmental concerns/legislative pressure for plastics waste and rapid increases in the cost of
petroleum, the development of “environmental friendly” materials has attracted extensive interest. Recently, bioplastics are one of
the most innovative environmental friendly materials developed. Therefore, this paper will look at aspects of the bioplastics from the
perspective of sustainability, advantages/disadvantages and standards. The global bioplastics market is thought to be growing at a
rate of 20%~25% per year. They have some advantages such as lower carbon footprint, independence, energy efficiency, and
eco-safety. However, they have some disadvantages such as high cost, recycling, reducing raw materials, misused of terms and lack
of legislation. For the sustainability, recycling systems and production technology may be developed for bioplastics and by-product
should be used for their production. Also, there is much standardization about them. It is important to have comparable international
standard methods. Therefore, there is an urgent need to standardize all details. A new guide and standard for just bioplastics should
be developed for production, usage and bioplastic waste management for every country in the world.

Key words: Advantages of bioplastics, bioplastics, disadvantages of bioplastics, standards, sustainability.

1. Introduction These GHGs (greenhouse gases) contribute to

worldwide climate change [5]. The fourth problem is
Plastic materials are currently considered very
their “non-degradability or durability”. Plastic is not
important materials due to their properties and
biodegradable and will persist in the environment for
performance over other materials such as metal and
hundreds of years [6]. The economic problem is
wood [1]. Worldwide annual plastics production is
“competition for crude oil and energy security”.
estimated to surpass 300 million tons by 2015 [2].
In recent years, these environmental/economic
Because plastics are used in a wide range of
problems and social concerns have triggered
applications, economic and environmental problems
developing environmental friendly materials such as
have raised.
bioplastics [7].
The first environmental problem which leads to
Bioplastics are novel materials of the 21st century
plastics is “landfill problem” [3]. Increasing amounts
and would be of great importance to the materials
of plastic waste emerged as a crisis in many areas of
world [8]. Bioplastic production and consumption will
the world because of shrinking landfill capacity, rising
grow bigger in the future in the world. Because of this,
costs and strong legislation. The second
these materials need to be evaluated carefully for
environmental problem is “accumulation of plastics in
sustainability and waste management. Therefore, this
oceans”. For example, in a long-term study in the
review provides state of performance of bioplastics
North Atlantic, one seawater sample contained the
materials, focusing on benefits or disadvantages of
equivalent of 580,000 pieces of plastic per square
bioplastics. Also, it gives an overview of bioplastics
kilometer [4]. Also, plastic incineration generates
standards.
toxic emissions such as carbon dioxide and methane.
2. What Is Bioplastic?
Corresponding author: Ezgi Bezirhan Arikan, research
assistant, research fields: waste management, industrial waste Generally, “bioplastic” are made from renewable
management, bioplastics, and biodegrability of bioplastics.
resources such as corn, sugars, potatoes, etc. [9] and
E-mail: [email protected].
 A Review: Investigation of Bioplastics 189

they are produced by a range of microorganisms [10]. and theoretically are biodegradable and compostable
There are four types of degradable plastics: [1]. Since the plastics pyramid was developed,
(1) Photodegradable bioplastics have light sensitive bioplastics are much further along in their commercial
group incorporated directly into the backbone of the development.
polymer as additives. Extensive ultraviolet radiation Packaging films and containers bioplastics are
(several weeks to months) can disintegrate their particularly interesting, since most of these products
polymeric structure rendering them open to further have a relative short service life and end up in
bacterial degradation [6]; landfills. Biodegradable bioplastics have been found
(2) The Business-NGO (non-government to possess wide range of properties, which find
organization) Working Group for Safer Chemicals and application in biomedical field like making bone
Sustainable Materials defines bio-based bioplastics as plates and screws, in drug delivery carriers and tissue
“plastics in which 100% of the carbon is derived from engineering scaffolds [12, 14].
renewable agricultural and forestry resources such as Many countries around the world have already
corn starch, soybean protein and cellulose” [1]; begun to integrate these materials into their
(3) Compostable bioplastics are biologically technologies. In America, McDonald is making
decomposed during a composting process at a similar biodegradable containers for their fast food. Other
rate to other compostable materials and without companies such as Bayer, DuPont [15], Dow Cargill,
leaving visible toxic remainders. In order to designate Nike, Danone, etc. are also producing biodegradable
a plastic as bio-compostable, its total biodegradability, packaging.
its disintegration degree, and the possible eco-toxicity The global bioplastics market is thought to be
of the degraded material must be determined by growing about 20%~25% per year. Approximately
means of standard tests [11]; 10%~15% bioplastics of the total plastics market will
(4) Biodegradable bioplastics are fully degraded by increase its market share to 25%~30% by 2020. The
microorganism without leaving visible toxic bioplastic market reached over 1 billion US$ in 2007
remainders. The term “biodegradable” refers to and it will be over 10 billion by 2020. More and more
materials that can disintegrate or break down naturally companies are entering and investing in this market.
into biogases and biomass (mostly carbon dioxide and
4. Biodegradation and Standardization of
water) as a result of being exposed to a microbial
Bioplastics
environment and humidity, such as the ones found in
soil, hence reducing plastic waste, whereas bio-based Biodegradability is an misused and abused
sustainable materials. The fourth types of bioplastics term. Biodegradability results are strongly based
are rather promising because of their actual utilization on test conditions such as humidity, temperature and
by microorganism [6].

3. Bioplastic Market
Researchers have developed several tools to assist
in decision-making about plastics selection. One of Avoid Prefer
them is the “plastic spectrum” (Fig. 1) [12, 13].
Fig. 1 Plastics spectrum (PVC: polyvinyl chloride; PU:
In this spectrum, bio-based bioplastics are at the
polyurethane; PS: polystyrene; ABS: acrylonitrile
right of the pyramid, indicating they are most butadiene styrene; PC: polycarbonate; PET: polyethylene
preferable, as they are made from renewable resources, terephthalate; PE: polyethylene; PP: polypropylene) [13].
190 A Review: Investigation of Bioplastics

microorganisms. Also, the nature is different from sequestration is reversed. But a permanent bioplastic,
laboratory conditions. made to be similar to polyethylene or other
The list of some available biodegradation standards conventional plastics, stores the CO2 forever. Even if
is considerable (Table 1) [3]. In the interests of the plastic is recycled many times, the CO2
environmental relevance, it is recommended that initially taken from the atmosphere remains
selection of the test methodology be based on sequestered [16];
potential fields of application of the test polymer and  Independence. Bioplastic is made from
its end-of-life, which is compost, soil, fresh or marine renewable resources: corn, sugarcane, soy and other
water. Some of the widely used standards are: plant sources as opposed to common plastics, which
AS4736; ASTM D5338; ASTM D6002; EN 13432; are made from petroleum [17];
ISO 14855 (for compost exposure), ASTM D5988;  Energy efficiency. Production uses less energy
ISO 17556 (for soil exposure); ASTM D6691; ASTM than conventional plastics [16]. On the other hand,
D6692; ISO 15314; and ISO 16221 (for marine plastics are made from about 4% of the oil that the
exposure) [3]. world uses every year. With oil scarcity, the
manufacture of plastics becomes increasingly exposed
5. Advantages and Disadvantages of
to fluctuating prices [16];
Bioplastics
 Eco-safety. Bioplastic also generates fewer
The future of biodegradable plastics shows great greenhouse gasses and contains no toxins. Yu and
potential. Here are the advantages of bioplastics: Chen [17] reported that bioplastics contribute clearly
 Potentially, a much lower carbon footprint. It to the goal of mitigating GHG emissions with only
should be pointed out that the carbon footprint of a 0.49 kg CO2 which is being emitted from production
bioplastic is crucially dependent on whether the of 1 kg of resin. Compared with 2~3 kg CO2 of
plastic permanently stores the carbon extracted from petrochemical counterparts, it is about 80% reduction
the air by the growing plant. A plastic made from a of the global warming potential.
biological source sequesters the CO2 captured by the However, possible problems might come along
plant in the photosynthesis process. If the resulting with the use of bioplastics. Here are the disadvantages
bioplastic degrades back into CO2 and water, this of bioplastics:

Table 1 List of some published standards for biodegradation of plastics [3].

Standard Description
AS 4736-2006 Biodegradable plastics—biodegradable plastic suitable for composting and other microbial treatment
Standard test method for determining the aerobic biodegradation of plastic materials in the presence of
ASTM D5209-92
municipal sewage sludge
Standard test method for determining aerobic biodegradation of plastic materials under controlled
ASTM D5338-98
composting conditions
Testing of compostability of plastics—Part 2: testing of the complete biodegradability of plastics in
DIN V 54900-2
laboratory tests
Requirements for packaging recoverable through composting and biodegradation—test scheme and
EN 13432:2000
evaluation criteria for the final acceptance of packaging
Determination of the ultimate aerobic biodegradability of plastic materials in an aqueous
ISO 14851:1999
medium—method by measuring the oxygen demand in a closed respirometer
Methods for marine exposure ISO 16221:2001 water quality—guidance for the determination of
ISO 15314:2004
biodegradability in the marine environment
Plastics: biodegradable plastics in or on soil—recovery, disposal and (under approval) related
CEN/TR 15822
environmental issues
Biodegradable materials for use in agriculture and horticulture-mulching products—requirements and
AFNOR NF U52-001
test methods
 A Review: Investigation of Bioplastics 191

 High costs. It is acclaimed that bioplastics costs There are a large number of tests which are used to
two times more than conventional plastics. However, determine the degradation of bioplastics. It is
the amount of large-scale industrial production of important to have comparable international standard
bioplastics which are more common in the future with methods. Unfortunately, the current standards have
the implementation of cost reduction is expected; not been equated to each other and tend to be used in
 Recycling problems. Bioplastic material might the countries where they originated. There is an urgent
actually contaminate the recycling process if not need to standardize all details. A new guide and
separated from conventional plastics. For example, standard just for bioplastics should develop for
working with infrared rays in waste separation system, production, usage and bioplastic waste management
bioplastics cannot be separated and the separating over the world. Also, labeling legislation may be
plastics might be contaminated with bioplastics; improved based on a product’s raw material usage,
 Reducing raw materials. Bioplastics produced energy consumption, emissions from manufacture and
from renewable sources might reduce raw material use.
reserves. Moreover, in order to reduce energy Based on advantages of bioplastics, there are
consumption during the production of bioplastics and certainly an abundant amount of materials and
potential competition with agricultural resources for resources to create and find more uses for bioplastic.
foods and also to provide additional raw material Based on disadvantages of bioplastics, for the
sources, the exploitation of food by-products is also sustainability, several parameters must be considered,
the current trend [18]; including the raw materials from which the bioplastic
 Misunderstanding of terms. The description of is generated, the energy consumed during bioplastic
bioplastic as compostable can be confusing. All conversion and its life cycle assessment analysis from
bioplastics are not compostable at home like organic production to ultimate disposal or recycle.
food waste but usually require an industrial composting
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